China's first tea quality insurance launched in Ningbo

In a pioneering move, China's first tea quality insurance was recently launched in Fenghua district, Ningbo.

Operating at the Nanshan Tea Plantation, it protects the Fenghua Quhao, a local variety of green tea, with a 1,000-yuan ($140) premium and nearly 3 million yuan in coverage.

Challenges related to tea storage conditions used to lead to mold and deterioration, while opaque quality guarantees during sales resulted in consumer disputes.

The tea quality insurance is meant to address these problems.

When exchanging or returning tea products, or if the product is damaged due to food safety issues, the insurance company covers the losses, with a cap of 1,000 yuan per incident. In instances of bodily harm to consumers due to food safety issues, cumulative compensation can reach up to 3 million yuan.

To enhance the quality of tea products, the insurance also includes services such as real-time monitoring of tea plantation environments by third-party technical institutions. Experts will help improve the planting environment and optimize tea processing techniques.

Regular testing of key indicators affecting tea quality, such as free amino acids, tea polyphenols, and caffeine, as well as food safety indicators, including heavy metals and pesticide residues, will be conducted. If the test results of food safety indicators do not reach minimum standards, the products will not be allowed to enter the market. The costs and losses will be covered by the insurance company.

A "Quality Insurance" label will be added to the packages of tea products from the Nanshan Tea Plantation.